The Fascinating Story of Tommy Nichols and How He Found His Voice

I'm thrilled to have Tommy Nichols as our guest in this episode. Tommy's journey is nothing short of fascinating — from obtaining his BFA in acting and directing, to working as a children's TV scriptwriter for Disney, presenting cabaret shows in New York, and even serving as a minister for many years. His eclectic career and unique experiences offer a rich tapestry of insights, life lessons, and entertaining anecdotes. 

We reminisce on Tommy's background, exploring his early days of performing in his grandmother's basement, his many roles in theater, and his transition to writing and directing. Tommy shares candidly about his struggles with alcoholism and hiding his true identity, and his time away from the arts as he gave his life to the church. He also graciously opens up about the challenging moments of dealing with personal loss, finding his way back to creativity, and how sobriety has influenced his work. 

Tommy discusses how he translates these rich life experiences into his writing and performing, the importance of authenticity, and how to use one's unique voice to create compelling narratives. I hope you’ll sit down with me and hear about Tommy’s inspiring life journey, whether you’re a writer, actor, or just someone who loves to hear a great story.  

Key Topics:

1. Tommy's early passion for theater and first major role at age 13
2. Finding God, giving up theater, and pretending to be straight for several decades
3. Becoming a minister at his church
4. Re-entering the creative field and writing for the Disney show, Doug
5. The turning point moment that drove Tommy back to drinking
6. Ending his marriage and leaving the ministry
7. The 2012 intervention that made him realize he needed to get creative again
8. How Tommy transforms his autobiographical tales into funny characters and anecdotes
9. Only sharing songs that resonate with him personally
10. Maintaining the anonymity of characters that are based on real people
11. Focusing on telling and illustrating stories that have a message in his cabaret pieces
12. Creating the character Polly Pandemic
13. “Everything’s already been said, but it hasn’t been said by you”
14. Advice for creatives and writers for finding their unique, creative voice

Connect with Tommy online:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tommyn1017/videos

Instagram: @tommynich926

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thomas.nichols.771

Find more from Jill:

Email: [e-mail]

Website: https://www.thewritersrefuge.com/

Writing Coaching Programs: https://www.thewritersrefuge.com/coaching

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Special thanks to LVDY for allowing us to use their song, Saltwater, in the intro and outro of the podcast!